My English teacher was very tall. The moment she     1    (enter) the class, we would all sit     2    (quiet) and open the books. She would encourage me by giving me important assignments and also morning news to read during the assembly. She would come down and listen to my English debate,    3    made me take part in all debate competitions.

    4    same was true of my biology and science teacher. She was very nice and sweet. She would always give me extra information on the biology project. I could not go to the lab for experiments, so she would bring the lab down and help me with the biology and science     5    (experiment) and would give me excellent marks.

My friends made me monitor and the naughty boys listened to me. My friends used to help me with my notes when I was     6    (absence). My teachers always gave me important project work and I felt proud when they patted me     7    the back after I finished it quickly and correctly. I was never shouted at or made fun of or scolded by any of my friends and teachers.

Today I often see the terrible punishments     8    (give) to students on TVs. I feel very sad.

I really want to express my love and thanks to all my wonderful teachers and friends. Without them my school life would not     9    (be) so excellent and     10    (forget).

Vehicle theft

Steven Smith should have known better: after all, he works for a large auto-insurance company. It won’t hurt to leave the key in the truck this time, he     1     (think), as he filled his petrol tank at a self-service petrol station. But moments later, as he was paying the money, he saw the truck     2     (drive) away.

In 1987, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States — one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts     3     be over two million by the end of the decade.

Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon,     4     has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.

Many police officials blame professional thieves     5    the high volume of thefts. It is a major moneymaker for     6     (organize) crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200, 000 cars are smuggled(走私)out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.

It’s reported that only about 15% car thefts result in an arrest. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation (缓刑), not immediately put them in prison     7    the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.

One exception is a Michigan programme     8    the government assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the state’s 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 1986, when the effort began, the state’s auto-theft rate     9    (fall) from second in the nation to ninth.

How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000. Some systems engage automatically—simply removing the key disables the fuel pump and the starter. When cars     10    (equip) with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to use a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.